Amalgamating apparatus.



F. S. SKIFF.

AMALGAMATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 9. 1911- Patented June 4,1918.

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U :3 TE STTES FRANK S. SIKIFF, 0F PORTLAND, OREGON.

AMALGAMATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1918.

Application filed March 9, 1917. Serial No. 153,634.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, FRANK S. SKIFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amalgamating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improve.- ments in amalgamating apparatus for treating pulverized ores containing precious metals, especially gold and silver, and it has for one of its objects to provide a novel construction of amalgamating pan or bowl.

Heretofore this element in a device of this type has been generally of such form that the concentrates contained by the material operated upon, have, following the line of least resistance, had a tendency to deposit at or about the center of the pan and the amalgamating process has been for this reason rendered much less efficient than desired.

In my invention, however, I overcome this difiiculty by forming the pan with a series of concentric channel-like compartments each independent of the other and adapted to contain the separating liquid or medium into which the ore is introduced, the Walls of the compartments acting as baflies to prevent the concentrates from following the course above referred to whereby the material is acted upon more efiectively by mullers or rubbing instrumentalities which are operable in the respective compartments.

Incidentally an important advantage is derived from this construction in that the capacity of the apparatus is materially increased.

A further object of my invention of equal importance is the provision of operating means common to all the muller supports for actuating the same in the respective compartments synchronously and at substantially the same ratio of speed which is just sufficient to produce the required agitation and rubbing effect while permitting deposit of the concentrates for amalgamation.

With the above and other objects in view, this invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts all as hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention and taken upon the plane indicated by the line 1-1 of Fig. 2. I

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view showing the main features of my apparatus in plan, parts being broken away and shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a muller used in this device.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a muller.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing the supporting means for the mullers mounted upon the suspension frames.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view showing the gates which are preferably provided in the walls of the device.

Referring to the drawings, and specifically describing the apparatus 1 designates the amalgamating bowl or pan which is supported preferably upon a frame structure 2 of suitable size and configuration. It will be noted that the bottom of the bowl 1 is formed with a series of'concentric channels 3, substantially U-shaped in cross section, and annular walls 4 are provided so as to separate the bowl into a series of concentric compartments. In these compartments the usual liquid or separating medium is contained and the material in pulverized condition is introduced in the customary manner into. the respective compartments for treatment. Each of these compartments has operable therein a series of mullers 5, substantially semi-circular in form and wedgeshaped in cross section as shown most clearly in Figs. 4, 1 and 5. These mullers snugly fit in each channel and are in fairly closely spaced relation, the operating surface of the mullers conforming to the surface of the bottom of the channel. The mullers or rubbing instrumentalities in each compartment are adjustably mounted upon a connecting ring 6 by means of specially constructed bolts 7. Each bolt is provided at its lower extremity with a lateral projection 7 which is received in a recess 7, in its cohperating muller which is also formed with a shoulder 7 cooperative with the connecting ring 6 to pervent displacement of the muller or more strictly speaking to hold the muller rigid upon its support. By means of these bolts therespective mullers can be adjusted with reference to the surface of the, channels. The supporting ring of eaclr channel is carried by an annular suspension frame, the said frames being arranged in superposed nested relation to each other above the pan 1 as indicatedat S, 8, 8".

It may be observed in reference to this construction, as shown in- Fig. 6, that the rings 6 are connected. to their frames by at the center of the bowl 1- rises fairly abruptly and extends preferably above the walls 4, an opening being provided in the central portion of the bottom through which the vertically arranged shaft 11' extends. At the lower end said shaft is disposed in a suitable bearing ];Qmounted upon the frame 2' and has secured thereto a relatively large gear member 18'. At the upper portion thereof the outermost or uppermost suspension frame 8 is fixedto said shaft. Surrounding the shaft is an inner sleeve 14 and an outer sleeve 15 surrounds the latter. To the; lower extremity of. the sleeve 14- is fixed the intermediate gear member 16' while its upper end carries the intermediate suspension frame 8" and to the outer sleeve 15 is secured the relatively small gear L7 and the innermost suspension. frame 8".

It, will be quite apparent that this arrangement is very advantageous in that the mechanism is compactly disposed. The shaft and these sleeves are independently operable so as. to actuate the respective suspension frames and their mullers in the different compartments. This actuation is accomplished. by the multiple racks 18 which are mounted upon the'cross heads 19 adapted to reciprocate; on spaced. guide rods 20 sustained by the frame 2.. These racks. may be operated in any well known manner as by means of the driving connection: 21 of a.

mon. primemover operate the suspension.

frames simultaneously and at a: corresponding-peripheral speech This is an important feature of. this apparatusin that the speed.

of. the. mullers is supposed to be only suflieient. to properly perform the disintegrating orrubbing functions and the material must be agitated only sufficiently to cause the metalliferous content of the material to separate and settle to' the bottonr of the bowl in. the respective channels. Therefore, these frames oscillate slowly back and forth all moving at the same rate of linear speed I treatment to obtain the precious metal ingredient.

As shown in Fig. 7 each wall 4 is preferably provided at a suitable height with gated opening 24, which openings may at will be left open during continuous running to allow the lighter floating materials or liquidto pass off or they may be used for draining the machine without entirely removing, its charge.

It will be apparent tothose skilled in the art to which this apparatus relates that a series of amalgamating' pans or bowls may be arranged one. above the other on t-he frame and operated from the shaft 11', if desired-L.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of an amalgamating, bowl provided with a plurality of' concentric amalgamating compartments each adapted to contain a body of liquid to receive the material to be treated, said compartments embodying means to prevent passage of the concentrates from one compartment. to the other, and means operating at uniformrelatively slow speed in all the compartments for agitating. thematerial in. said compartments and provided with rubbing. instrumentalities to effect separation. of the concentrates therefrom. while permitting precipitation of the same.

2. In apparatus of the the combination of an amalgamating: bowl having its bottom formed. with a series of' concentric channels, means for separating said channels to prevent the concentrates of one channel from passing to the other,

partments adapted to. receive material to be. completely treated, meansv rotative in. each.

compartment for operating. upon. the. material therein, and difi'erent-ially operatedactuclass described,

ating means common to all the operating means for actuating the latter at the same linear speed.

4:. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a stationary amalga'mating bowl having a series of separate compartments adapted to receive material to be treated, means in each compartment operable in arcuate paths of different radii for operating upon the material therein, and means for actuating the operating means in all compartments at substantially the same linear speed.

5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a stationary amalgamating pan, a series of separate annularly arranged operating instrumentalities for disintegrating the materials in said pan, and means for actuating said instrumentalities at substantially the same linear speed.

6. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a stationary amalgamating pan, a plurality of separably operable concentrically arranged frame members each movable relatively of the other, means on said frame members for operating upon the contents of the pan, and operating means common to all of said frame members.

7. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of an amalgamating pan, a plurality of concentrically arranged independ ent frame members, separate operative connections for each member, rubbing instrumentalities mounted on said frame members, and means common to said connections for actuating the frames simultaneously at substantially the same linear speed.

8. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of an amalgamating bowl having its bottom channeled and provided with vertical walls to form a plurality of separate compartments adapted to receive the material to' be acted upon, mullers operable in said compartments, revoluble frame members sustaining said mullers, and means for revolving each frame member relatively with respect to theother.

9. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of an amalgamating bowl having its bottom formed with a series of concentric channels, mullers disposed in said .channels, independent suspension frames, a

connecting member sustained by each frame upon which mullers of a respective compartment are mounted, and actuating means for simultaneously actuating each frame and its mullers relatively of the other.

10. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of an amalgamating bowl having its bottom rising in the center and provided with an opening, a plurality of mullers arranged in said bowl, a series of muller carrying frames nested one above the other and disposed over the bowl, independently operating members extending through the central opening and sustainin the frames, and means for actuating sai supporting members.

11. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of an amalgamating bowl, a muller carrying support disposed over the bowl, a shaft arranged centrally of the bowl and sustaining the support, other muller carrying supports arranged similarly to the first mentioned support, actuating means for said other supports mounted on the shaft aforesaid, and means for actuating the last mentioned means and the shaft synchronously.

12. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a bowl having its bottom channeled, mullers operable in the channels, independent supporting frames for the mullers of each channel, gear members operably connected to the frames, and a multiple rack meshing with said gear members for actuating said frames synchronously.

13. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of an amalgamating bowl having a series of concentric compartments, muller carrying frames disposed over said compartments and independently operable, a vertical shaft arranged centrally of the bowl and connected to one of said frames, sleeves surrounding the shaft and connected to the other muller frames, gear members connected to said shaft and sleeves and of relatively difierent sizes, and means common to said gear members for simultaneously actuating the same whereby to operate said frames at substantially the same peripheral speed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' FRANK S. SKIFF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

